Sasuke Uchiha is by far one of the most powerful ninjas the world of Naruto has ever introduced. Although he began the series as a regular, if stronger than average, Genin, his journey transformed him into one of the most skilled and dangerous warriors in the series. He is one of the only characters who can fight against the strongest characters, like Naruto, and survive the encounter.

While it is true that his development was incredible, the series did ignore a unique set of skills that could have helped the Uchiha be even more imposing: Genjutsu. Despite his family’s predilection for illusory techniques, Naruto’s rival seldom used them during the story.

Sasuke Had the Potential To Be Unstoppable

Mastering Genjutsu Would Have Been Amazing for His Character

As the Naruto series progressed, fans were able to see Sasuke grow from a genius student to a high-class ninja capable of defeating even the members of the Otsutsuki clan. His fighting skills, Ninjutsu, and Kekkei Genkai, are above almost all other shinobi, with just a handful of characters being able to stand to his might. Yet, when thinking about his development, it becomes clear that Sasuke was stripped of what could have been the best weapon in his arsenal: his family’s illusory techniques. Despite having the potential to master Genjutsu, the man barely used it.

The series constantly hinted at his outstanding skills as an illusionist in his fight against the most hated character in the series, Danzo, during chapter #480. Sasuke, knowing how reliant the man was on his Izanagi, used his family’s Sharingan to trick him into believing that it was still active. This led Danzo to let his guard down, making it several times easier for the terrorist to kill him. Lamentably, after that ingenious use of his abilities, the Uchiha barely utilized his skills, which is a true shame, as being a master of illusions would have made him even more powerful.

The Series Did Not Want Another Itachi

Sasuke Did Not Need To Become His Brother

Even though it can be said that the Naruto series handicapped Sasuke by making him forget about his illusory abilities, doing so might have been the correct decision. No matter how much time passes, Naruto fans know that Itachi will forever be the most powerful Genjutsu user in the series. The abilities of the overwhelmingly strong Akatsuki member were such that not even the likes of Kakashi were able to withstand them. Making Sasuke follow in the steps of his brother would have been harmful to his development.

The story of Naruto’s rival revolves around him losing his way and struggling to find his calling in life. Sasuke’s quest for revenge ended up becoming a journey of self-discovery, with him realizing that Konoha and his friends were what he had wanted all along. Giving access to Genjutsu and making him use it constantly in battle would have given him an edge in combat but would have forced him to live in Itachi’s shadow. As disappointing as not seeing Sasuke defeat his opponents with illusions might be, there is no denying that it was done for good reasons.

Naruto: Shippuden

Release Date

2007 – 2017

Network

Adult Swim

Directors

Hayato Date, Masaaki Kumagai, Yasuaki Kurotsu, Osamu Kobayashi, Chiaki Kon

Writers

Junki Takegami, Satoru Nishizono, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Yasuaki Kurotsu, Masanao Akahoshi

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